
How well do you know the bible story of the ten plagues in the Book of Exodus? If you were asked, “Who is the main protagonist in the story, who is acting with the Almighty to bring about the plagues?”, who would you name? Moses? Surely it was Moses!
Yet a careful reading of the bible text tells us that the first three plagues were in fact enacted by Aaron, at the Lord’s instruction through Moses. Let’s read aloud:
The plague of blood:
The Lord said to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, “Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over its rivers, its canals, and its ponds, and all its pools of water—so that they may become blood”’ (Exodus 7:19).
Similarly, in 8:5 in the plague of the frogs:
And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, “Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, the canals, and the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.”’
And in 8.14, the plague of lice:
Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, “Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt.”’
Is your curiosity piqued? Why is Aaron told to take action in these three plagues and not the others? Ponder the question, the sacred text, and propose an interpretation from your knowledge of scripture. Discuss and debate its merits with your havrutah partner (Torah-study partner) before reading on to hear the response of Rashi, the great 11th-century Torah scholar. [1]
Rashi discerns that Moses had a particular affinity with the Nile (containing the waters and frogs) and with the soil (‘dust of the earth’), an affinity that the Lord respected and therefore refrained from asking Moses to raise his hand against these natural elements.
In Rashi’s words:
“Because the river protected Moses when he was cast into it, therefore it was not smitten through his hand, neither at the plague of blood nor at the plague of frogs.”
And “the soil did not deserve to be stricken by Moses, because it protected him when he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. [Therefore,] it was stricken by Aaron.”
In Jewish tradition, the ethical lesson drawn from this interpretation focuses not so much on the dust and water and frogs as deserving protection, but rather on the dignity of human life. If the Lord commands that even dust and water and frogs are worthy of protection and have a special relationship with human beings and their stories, then how much more precious is human life; how much more worthy are human beings of respect and protection, made as they are in the image of their Creator.
Reflection:
Ponder the Lord G-d as Creator and Redeemer in the light of the stories of the plagues. Discuss the delicate interconnections of all creation, and especially the value we place on human life.
In my own life’s story, do I discern a personal affinity for an aspect of the natural environment? If I were in Moses' shoes, which plague might God have spared me from active involvement? : )
Treasure and enjoy your engagement with G-d's word!
Notes:
[1] With thanks to Rabbi Gad Krebs for drawing my attention to Rashi's interpretation on this point. Quotations from Rashi's commentary are taken from the Artscroll series, pp. 70, 76. See bibliography.
Bibliography:
Podcast by Rabbi Gad Krebs, ‘Vaera: The Power of Gratitude’. Moriah Parsha Perspectives (Sydney, 2025)
Herczeg et al, eds. The Torah. With Rashi’s Commentary. Shemos/Exodus. Artscroll Series, The Sapirstein Edition (New York: Mesorah Publications, 1995, 1999).
Scripture: NRSV
© Teresa Pirola, 2025. lightoftorah.net. Reproduction for non-commercial use permitted with acknowledgement of the Light of Torah website.
Light of Torah is a Sydney-based grassroots work, encouraging Christians to reflect on Torah with the help of Jewish insights. More... The reflection above refers to Parashat Vaera (Exodus 6:2 - 9:35), the Torah portion read for this Sabbath in the Jewish liturgical cycle. Shabbat shalom!
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